Using brilliant compositional devices and late afternoon light, Frank McCarthy captures a man at the precise moment before death.
The scene is staged with big poses and big gestures. Screaming in pain, we see a man in a futile struggle to fight off a beast while in the process of being eaten alive. The savagely fierce lion is spotlighted and positioned in the center of the composition. A thorny bush frames the scene. The viewer's eye is directed to the head and open mouth of the lion. All the other elements are subdued. The artist stages the scene from the perfect viewing vantage point. The man's arm is being chewed off and we get the front row seat to watch all the bloody details. Clearly, this is an artist's conception and construction. A photographer could never capture this moment and get the elements to work as well. There are two witnesses to the giant cat attack. One takes aim with his rifle in an attempt to save his friend. The painting is a masterfully rendered piece of storytelling. It's is a testament to the academic training and skill of artists of the Golden Age of Illustration. Regrettably, it would hard to find any artist alive today who would do a painting this well. It is just too hard. The skills Frank McCarthy displays are a lost, under appreciated and undervalued art form. In my opinion, it's an art far superior to most of the contemporary and easy-to-do art we see today.
Born in New York City, he studied under the great academician George B. Bridgman and Reginald Marsh at the Art Students League of New York
Frank McCarthy , American, 1924–2002
21 - 28 inches
US$22,000 Plus Shipping
